Wrench



Jan. 12 1926.

O. C. PBETSCH wnmzcn Filed Sept. 28, 1923 QSGAR C. P/ETSOH al ke: net

Patented Jan. 12, 1926,

UNITED STATES OSCAR CHAS PIETSCH, OF HANCOCK/MICHIGAN.

wanton.

Applieation'filed September 28, 1923. I Serial No; 665,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR -CHAS PIETSCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hancock, in the county of Houghton and. State of lulichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specificationq This invention has reference to improvements in pipe and monkey wrenches and the main object is to provide an efficient, practical and novel wrench in "which a movable jaw may quickly and easily be moved to any 'desired operative position, withrespect to a rigid jaw, and there be locked in place while the wrench is in use. I

The invention is more particularly an improvement over the wrench'shown in the application for patent filed by me under date of Gctober 7th, 1921, having Serial Number 505,994 (Patent Number 1,490,343).

The wrench and its improvements will now be described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

" Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a monkey wrench embodying my invention, a portion of the handle being broken out.

Fig. 2 is a sectional'elevation through the center of a pipe wrench, embodying the improvements.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 33 in Fig. 2. V

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the spring retaining clip.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective detail of one of the blades 27.

Referring to the drawing more particularly and by reference characters 6 designates the handle of a wrench having a shank 7, a fixed end jaw 8 and a movable jaw holder 9 slidably arranged on the shank. In the monkey wrench shown in Fig. 1, a jaw 10 is rigidly arranged in the holder 9. In the pipe wrench shown in Fig. 2, how

ever, a jaw 11 is pivotally secured in the holder, as at 12, and has'a toothed face 13 which coacts with the serrated or toothed jaw to firmly grip the pipe or other round object. The jaw 11 is normally held against a stop pin 14, by a compression spring 15, retained at one end in a pocket 16, in the jaw, and pressing with its other end against a metallic strip 17 which is pivotally secured as at 18 within the holder and frictionally engages against the shank 7. Thus, the spring 15 serves to hold the aw 11 in its normally forward position, and also prevents too loose and free a movement of theflholder on the shank.

A locking lever 19 is pivotallysecured at,

one end, as at 20, to the holder, and, at its other end is [provided with an integral wedge or tooth 21 having a slightly raised- "lug or projection 22, and an extending gripping catch 23 for use in pulling the wedge out. 7 I

Secured by rivets 24 upon the lower part of the shank 7 is a keeper v25 which is substantially U-shaped in cross section, its 1on 'gitudinal edgeshaving inner flanges 26 for the purpose ofslidably retaining a column of blades 27. The front edges of these blades or plates 27 are sharply edged, as shown, while their rear portions are substantially U-shaped, their ends 28 being slidably retained in channels 29, formed by the keeper 25 and longitudinal recesses in the front edges 'of the shank 7. This construction and arrangement, it will readily be seen, will prevent any one of the blades from tipping over sufficiently to slip back of the adjacent blades.- y

The blades or plates 27 are normally spring held together and yieldingly pressed against an abutment or stop 30, formed integral with the shank 7, by a spring 31, which is retained against the top of the column of blades by a sheet metal clip 32 This clip is also substantially U-shaped, one arm lying against the shank 7, while the end of its other or longer arm is provided with an angular extension 33, which, when the clip is inserted, snaps into notches 34 in the flanges 26, and thus prevents removal of the clip except when the longer end is first com pressed against or toward the spring 31.

The lever 19 cannot be pulled out any further than shown in Fig. 2, as an integral dog 35 thereon stops against a pin 36. This limits the movement of the lever to its required freedom from the blades, and protects the sharp edge of the wedge 21 by keeping it s seen that the jawll can be moved to the desired position on the shank 7. The lever is thencla-Inped in, forcing the wed e,21 in between the two adjacent blades 2 ,i where it will be yieldingly locked, by virtue of the lug 22, which lug will snap under the inner edge of the blade immediately above it.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the invention, as herein disclosed, provided, however, that such modifications come Within the spirit and scope 01" the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully describedand illustrated by invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A wrench consisting of a shank having a fixed jaw at one end and a movable jaw slid-ably arranged on the shank, a column of substantially U-shaped blades slidably retained upon an intermediate portion-of the wrench and a lever pivotally arranged With respect to the movable jaw, at one end, and having its opposite end engageable with said blades, said shank having laterally arranged longitudinal channelsto receive the inner ends of said blades.

2. The combination in a Wrench having a movable jaw, a lever for locking the jaw in selective positions, a column of plates slidably arranged upon the shank of the wrench for engagement by said lever, a spring for normally holding said plates together, and a substantially U-shaped clip arranged to protect the spring and retain it upon the column of plates.

The combination in a wrench having a movable a lever member for locking the jaw, a keeper arranged upon the Wrench to combine thervvith to form a longitudinal recess, a column of plates slidably retained in said recess, a spring for normally pressing said plates together, and a detachable clip arranged to retain the spring in its proper position upon the column of plates, said clip combining with said keeper to form a housing for said spring.

l. The combination in a wrench having a shank and a fixed jaw at one end of the shank, of a holder slidably mounted on the shank, a second jaw pivotally mounted in theholder, a metallic strip arranged within the holder to trictionally engage with the shank, and means for yieldingly separating said second jaw from said metallic strip, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OSCAR CHAS PIEPSCHL 

